This photo by Dubois High School student Darienne Oard won a first place award in The Nature Conservancy’s photography contest. (Photo by Darienne Oard)

(Lander, Wyo.) – The Nature Conservancy of Wyoming has announced the winners for its fourth annual “I Believe in Conservation” high school photography contest. This year’s winners and finalists include students from Cody High School, Natrona County High School in Casper, Dubois High School and Lander Valley High School.

The contest is an opportunity for the state’s “next generation” of conservationists to showcase their relationships with Wyoming’s wild places and working landscapes. Prizes were awarded in two categories. “Wild Places” include images of mountain landscapes, wildlife and some of Wyoming’s most intriguing open spaces. “People and Nature” submissions captured the human element of nature and conservation—from recreational activities to ranching and scenes of cultural landscapes that connect students to nature.

Lander Valley High School students Sarai Sutton and Christien Forton were both finalists in this year’s contest. Sutton submitted an image titled “Blue Dragonfly” in the Wild Places category, and Forton was a finalist for her image “Only in Wyoming” in People and Nature.

The images are now on display at the Fremont County Library in Lander.

Other winners include:

Darienne Oard, Dubois HS, 1st Place for “Beauty Within,” People and Nature

Trevor Cook, Cody HS, 2nd Place for “Wyoming Sky,” Wild Places; 3rd Place for “Fall Fun,” People and Nature

Anna Reed, Cody HS, 2nd Place for “Living Wild,” People and Nature; 3rd Place for “Wildflower,” Wild Places

“In our fourth year of offering this contest to Wyoming youth, we’re excited to expand to include Cody High School — while continuing strong participation from Dubois, Lander and Casper,” said Molly Hampton, director of philanthropy for The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming. “This contest is a wonderful opportunity to get students outside and encourage them to see the natural world in new and artistic ways. Thank you to Alice Arlen for her inspired support of this program!”

First place winners received $250 each, 2nd place winners received $100, and 3rd place winners received $50 prizes.

Finalist and winning images from the 2012 contest will be on display at the Center for the Arts in Jackson in July, and winners and finalists from 2011 will be on display at the Buffalo Bill Historic Center in Cody through August. For information on future exhibits and to find a venue near you, contact Kerry Brophy-Lloyd at (307) 349-1749 or kbrophy@tnc.org. To view a slideshow of the winning images, click here.